Is it OPEC? Is it the strife in the Middle East? Is it the senseless policies of Obama regarding drilling on shore and off? Is it our refusal to consume less? Answer: some of the above, but not much.
As usual, the most onerous attack is always a stealth attack. Not prominent in the media, not well-known to many of us, but virulent.
We import 1.9 million barrels of oil a day from Canada. About half of this is tar sand oil. There is a pipeline planned to bring more heavy tar sand crude oil to the Gulf Coast where refineries are equipped to process the heavy crude. We are limited by both transportation and refinery capability to handle more Canadian tar sand crude. Not by their production limitation.
Now, who can find fault with this. We have had pipelines for years. Yes, there are leaks and spills, but they get cleaned up and leave little permanent damage. The oil is being produced in Canada and it is the primary reason their economy is in much better shape than ours.
Don’t worry, in this country today there is always a group that finds fault with any energy project. In this case it’s the Natural Resources Defense Council. They contend that tar sands are wrong, regardless of where they are located. It is wrong for the US to buy tar sands knowing the environmental damage it does. And, they contend with little science that heavy crude is a bigger risk to create leaks in pipelines.
Last month 25 US mayors urged on by NRDC sent a letter to Hillary Clinton expressing concern about this pipeline. What US mayor in his right mind would sent a letter saying I want $10 gasoline in my town as soon as possible. None, but 25 would suck up to a militant environmental group seeking headlines in the local paper. But, you can’t have it both ways can you?
Unfortunately, in today’s world you can. If you sign the letter you make the paper today. If you kill the pipeline and we get $10 gasoline no one will ever tie it to you.
But, the pubic must begin to get the picture. If you support killing the Canadian tar sands, you cut off a million barrels a day of cheap oil to this country. Cause and effect is simple. But, the media, whose job it really is to tie that together also wants the projects killed.
It’s up to you. If your mayor signed this letter, Racine, Wisconsin, for example, someone needs to tag him with the $10 gasoline support result.
This is how we will get $10 gasoline, quietly through political stupidity.
